There are two competitions – one for original poems and one for
previously published poems by famous and lesser known poets.
The rules for both competitions are identical, except that the poems in
the Original Poems competition must be the exclusive work of the person who
performs them.
Each poet gets three minutes (plus a ten-second grace period) to read one
poem; if the poet goes over, points will be deducted from the total score,
The poet may not use props, costumes, or musical instruments.
Poems in the Previously Published Poems competition may be performed by
more than one person in duets, trios, etc.
Of the total scores the poet receives (0 – 10 from each of the five judges),
the highest and lowest scores are dropped, and the middle three are added
together, giving the poet a total score of 0-30.
The top five scorers compete in a final round; the poems performed in the
first round may not be repeated during the final round.
Prizes are given for first, second, and third places.